"My son used to kick me when he was in my womb. Why make an issue when he kicked me in my old age?" reasons a very forgiving Shakti Dasi. The widow travelled 2300 kms from Tripura to Vrindavan after her only son violently beat her with a burning plank of wood and broke her knee one evening. She had to leave behind the business she had built with her husband who had died a few years back. Shakti ended up on the streets of Brindavan begging for food and shelter. But when Winnie Singh of Maitri saw Shakti in a frail state in tattered clothes, she brought her to the shelter home where Shakti gets food, care and medicines. What more, with Maitri’s intervention, Shakti reconciled with her son - and daughter-in-law, and now travels home to Tripura twice a year to spend time with her grandchildren. But she is not leaving Maitri, as this has become her family.Not every elderly widow who comes to Vrindavan after being abandoned by her family gets as lucky as Shakti. Many of them often end up living a lonely life and begging to survive on the streets. Maitri aspires to take care of every widow in need of help.<img src="https://cfstatic.give.do/ce101369-528c-4d37-bc1d-1118b9925af3.jpg" />Maitri’s Project Jeevan to the rescueAbandoned, elderly widows are the amongst the most vulnerable in India. After being thrown out of their often abandoned by their own children and are forced to beg for food and shelter. “Through Project Jeevan, Maitri houses aging widow mothers in two ashrams in Vrindavan and Radhakund (Mathura), providing them with wellness and well-being. The programme also reaches out to widow mothers beyond the ashrams with fruit, milk and healthcare services,” explains Winnie Singh, co-founder and executive director, Maitri India.Save homeless elderly widows from begging on the streetsMost widows who make their way to Vrindavan are abandoned by their families, often after years of abuse. They come here hoping they will spend the rest of their days in prayer and devotion. But most live in impoverished conditions on the streets and in dingy rooms. Since poor living conditions often cause a wide range of health ailments, including respiratory infections and chronic conditions, Maitri comes to their rescue through its Project Jeevan.The project aims to:<ul><li>Provide meals leading to improved health and wellbeing</li><li>Make physical and mental health services accessible</li><li>Offer necessary quality aged care and assisted living support</li><li>Increase awareness on and engagement around the struggles of abandoned widow mothers</li></ul><img src="https://cfstatic.give.do/1abfb906-563b-4747-85b8-8af2071a2856.jpg" />Project Jeevan needs your support to help those in need of food, healthcare and well-being. Donate now.“Maitri urgently needs your support to provide food, clothing and healthcare to sustain these widow mothers who are prone to more illnesses as they age,” appeals Winnie.Maitri believes in a woman’s right to dignity in life and death, more so a mother. Our help will enable Maitri to save hundreds of abandoned widows from a life of begging, and restore the respect, dignity, and identity they deserve.

Save abandoned, elderly widow mothers of Vrindavan from begging on streets

For a mother who has spent her entire life loving and raising her child, being beaten and mercilessly thrown out onto the streets by her own son is too heartbreaking to overcome. But this is a common story among the elderly residents of the Guru Vishram Vridh Ashram. “I’ve seen mothers in old and torn clothes, their bodies smelling and their hands and feet rotting and covered in maggots,” shares Dr. G.P. Bhagat, founder of the ashram. These abandoned elderly men and women lay starving on the streets hoping for someone to rescue them from their suffering. But most people walk past them without a second glance. “Like this”, Dr. Bhagat explains, “many elders die on the roads.”Since 2003, SHEOWS (Saint Hardyal Educational and Orphans Welfare Society) has rescued over 10,000 elderly people from the streets and given them a home with care and support. The elderly staying at the ashram have all been abandoned by their families and have nowhere else to live. Your support can give them comfort after their abandonment. Donate now.Donate easily through UPI, all debit/credit cards and net banking. Charitable donations to this fundraising campaign are tax exempted under 80G of the Income Tax Act (India). Safe and loving homeFor 20 years, SHEOWS has been providing free shelter, nutritious food three times a day, clothing, medical care, recreation activities and emotional support to abused and disabled elderly people rescued from the streets of Delhi. The Guru Vishram Vridh Ashram has a dedicated rescue team that saves the elderly from the streets and gives them immediate medical care upon their arrival at the home. To tend to the multiple health complications of the seniors, the home has a medical facility with doctors and nurses, a physiotherapy unit, a pathology lab, a digital X-ray monitoring machine and a pharmacy to provide 24-hour care to older adults anytime they require assistance, even during emergencies. Dr. Bhagat prioritizes the health of the seniors and ensures that they receive three balanced meals a day based on their precise health requirements. Need for the fundraiserThe humanitarian mission of SHEOWS is making an impact in the area, as more and more people are being rescued and brought to Guru Vishram Vridh Ashram. To meet the financial costs of running the home, SHEOWS needs support to continue providing the residents with all the facilities that they need. This includes constant care and round-the-clock medical attention, nutritious food and maintaining a hygienic environment to keep the seniors in comfort and good health. Dr. Bhagat explains that as the number of residents is increasing, SHEOWS needs support for food and medicines. “I request you to help these elderly parents lead a peaceful life.”Donate now to help Dr. Bhagat continue caring for the 500 destitute elderly and giving them shelter, food, medical care and the will to carry on living despite their tragic abandonment by their families. Your support will enable SHEOWS to keep serving abandoned senior citizens and help them recover from the trauma of abandonment and life on the streets. “I have been serving these elderly as if they were my own parents”, shares Dr. Bhagat. “I want only one thing - their tears should vanish and they should have a smile on their faces.” To help Dr. Bhagat achieve this dream, your support is critical. Donate now to help SHEOWS care for more abandoned elderly. Donate to this fundraiser by Give, India’s largest online donation platform, to support SHEOWS in their mission to rescue the abandoned elderly from the streets and give them shelter, food, medical care, recreational activities and emotional support.

Help Dr. Bhagat care for 500+ elderly parents rescued from abuse and homelessness

In the dark and dingy alleys of red light areas, injustice, pain and suffering run rampant. And the worst affected are the children who grow up in red-light areas and are subjected to constant abuse and violence. “The sight of a 12-year-old girl being gang-raped by a group of men near a house l haunts me to this date. I was filled with anguish and resolved to do something,” says Girish Kulkarni who has made it his life’s mission to rescue children from red light areas and give them a safe and secure childhood. In the last 3 decades Girish has saved over 1100 girls from a life of abuse in red-light areas, giving them a loving home, education and medical care. He has further supported over 20,000 children with a better life.Sadly, 250 of the children rescued from abuse and exploitation are HIV positive. The high cost of medication has left Girish struggling for funds. Your support can help him provide these children with the care and upbringing they need. Donate now.Donate easily through UPI, all debit/credit cards and net banking. Charitable donations to this fundraising campaign are tax exempted under 80G of the Income Tax Act (India), &amp; 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code (USA). A movement to protect vulnerable children“Growing up in Ahmednagar, the experiences I had as a child witnessing the horrors of sex trade defined the path of my life. I had even seen my friend’s 15-year-old sister and 70-year-old grandmother being forced to do sex work for the price of a cup of tea”, recalls Girish. “I started by merely feeding and teaching children of sex workers initially with the intention of giving them some respite from the horrors of life of abuse in red-light areas. Gradually more and more mothers started coming to me and asked me to take their children away, even if it was just for a couple of hours,” he further adds.The work that Girish started in his youth gradually grew to become a movement, with many more joining his cause. His NGO Snehalaya to date has transformed the lives of millions. Girish’s work is crucial for the survival and safety of vulnerable children of sex workers. Snehalaya is almost entirely dependent on donations from the public and your support can strengthen his mission to save children most in need. Donate generously.The horrors of life in red light areas“The cruelty and abuse that children as young as 6 or 7 years of age face is something that I can’t explain in words. Young daughters of sex workers are made to watch their mothers being raped, are brutally assaulted and forced into sex work. No child deserves to grow like this, Girish says in anguish.Sad reality of life for children growing up in red light areas is that they are deprived of even the most basic needs like proper food, safety and education. Moreover, a majority of children rescued by Girish are diagnosed HIV positive. The task of securing medication, providing them quality education and much needed nutrition is one that requires constant support from donors. Moreover, the increase in healthcare cost has left Girish struggling to keep his home for children going. But your support can enable him to give his children a loving environment and save many more who still remain trapped behind closed doors.Donate to this fundraiser by Give, India’s largest and most trusted online donation platform, to help Snehalaya give hundreds of children rescued from red-light areas a life away from violence and abuse.

Help Girish give 250 HIV+ children, rescued from abuse in red-light areas a new life

This is a sample description for Children. For the purpose of testing I will use the word Childrenchildrenchildren.

Children

This is a sample description for Healthcare. For the purpose of testing I will use the word HealthcareHealthcareHealthcare.

Healthcare

This is a sample description for education. For the purpose of testing I will use the word EducationEducationEducationEducation.

Education

This is a sample description for Community & Rural Development. For the purpose of testing I will use the word Community & Rural DevelopmentCommunity & Rural DevelopmentCommunity & Rural Development.

Community & Rural Development

This is a sample description for Livelihood. For the purpose of testing I will use the word LivelihoodLivelihoodLivelihoodLivelihood.

Livelihood

Founded by Ronnie and Zarina Screwvala, the Swades Foundation operates with the aim of empowering rural India. Our vision is rural empowerment through incorporating better innovative practices, modern technology and values.Our Mission is to empower 1 million rural Indians every 5-6 years, and to catalyse a lasting, irreversible change for the good. We believe in a holistic, 360 degree development with a focus on four key verticals: health, education, water &amp; sanitation and, economic development.Our strategy is to Engage, Empower, Execute and Exit: To engage rural communities with corporates, young urban India, not-for-profit organizations and governments and empower our communities to execute programs that transform their own lives, enabling us to exit and allowing them to serve as role models and change agents for the rest of the country.Our strength is our 1600 strong team of which 1300 are community volunteers and 300 full-time staff of specialists and professionals of which 90% work at the grassroots, making us a strong execution foundation.

Donations through Give Foundation, registered under section 80G of India's Income Tax Act, 1961 are tax-deductible.

Donations through Give Foundation, Inc. a registered US 501(c)(3) Nonprofit Organization, are tax-deductible.

Donations through GIVE, a registered charity in UK, are covered under Gift Aid

Finance Team

Finance

 Rajeshree Trivedi

Arun Bhatt

Tushar Sud

Test

Swades Foundation

This nonprofit is registered as a charitable trust under section 12A of India's Income Tax Act, 1961.

This nonprofit is registered under section 80G of India's Income Tax Act, 1961. This means you can deduct 50% of the donation you made through your tax return.

This nonprofit is registered under Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA), 2010. This means it can accept donations from foreign nationals.

Create change with NGOs on Give.do! Explore 3,000+ NGOs dedicated to causes like human rights, animal welfare and healthcare. Your contribution matters!

Find the best NGOs in India on Give.do and Donate to Fundraisers

NGOs Listing page

The complete shutdown of all economic activities except essential services, has created an economic crisis and misery for the poor with job losses + migration back to the villages from urban areas. A significant proportion of rural household incomes comes from migration and daily-wage labourers. This has only compounded the existing problems of rural unemployment, low incomes, poverty &amp; distress.Further, rural economies are largely agriculture &amp; allied activities dependent (see needs assessment below). Majority of farmers are marginal owning&lt;2 acres of land or employed as daily wage workers or working in activities like poultry, fishing etc. With all supply chain getting impacted, these marginal farmers are the worst affected and will go deep into the clutches of poverty, with no means to restart their economic activities. Given this precarious livelihoods of many rural Indians, proactive measures &amp; structured intervention are needed to safeguard rural populations from the economic fallout of this pandemic.Going forward, one can foresee many challenges as farmers and farm labourers set out to rebuild their lives and livelihoods. Migrant labourers who have managed to return without any savings/income in hand, will not be able to go back immediately and may be dealing with insecurities around future jobs, income, shelter &amp; food etc. in urban areas. Some may not wish to go back also, given the travails many may have endured following the lockdown. There is a need for both relief and rehabilitation measures, to help the affected overcome the loss sustained and rebuild their lives. 
 We now propose a structured intervention for the support &amp; revival of livelihoods and drive income generating activities in our rural areas. Swades will commence its interventions in the to support the following Programs for livelihood &amp; income generation for the underprivileged and migrant rural communities:i) Off- Farm Livelihoods – Strengthening Cashew Processing Cluster (Employing 70% women), Animal Husbandry initiatives – Poultry, Goat rearing, Dairyii) Non-Farm Livelihoods – Fishing (River &amp; Creek Fishing); Skilling – for Employability &amp; Entrepreneurshipiii) Farm Based Livelihoods – Water for Agriculture &amp; Plantations iv) Women Self Help Groups - Capacity Building and Supporting industries like Textile (immediately), and further for Food Processing (Papad, Pickle Making) &amp; Dairy (Paneer, Curd, Ghee), Animal Feed (Pashu Chaat) subsequently 
 1. Rebuilding Rural Livelihoods through structured interventions in various Farm Based, off-Farm &amp; Non-farm activities (Programmatic details in next section) securing locally sustainable incomes, keeping the rural population meaningfully engaged &amp; driving economic activity2. Social &amp; Economic Empowerment of Women enhancing their dignity, decision-making ability, increased community participation and inculcating a sense of self-worth &amp; confidence along with the right to control one’s life3. Sustainable Businesses: developing &amp; supporting SHGs to create running enterprise + building capacities for sustained economic activities (generate profits + reinvest into other economic activities)4. Strengthening &amp; investing in Capacities of marginal farmers &amp; daily wage workers, in such difficult times when gainful employment is a challenge In total we aim to impact the lives of approximate 67,000 beneficiaries.

Life and Livelihoods

Congenital Heart Defect(CHD) is a formidable public health problem in low income countries, as surgeries are expensive and parents incur significant expenses on diagnosis and treatment. Although the diagnosis +treatment of CHD is well-established in India, pediatric cardiac care is still in its infancy. There are only few centers which have facilities for pediatric cardiac care including infant and neonatal cardiac surgery. Also, dedicated pediatric cardiologists and cardiac surgeons are few in number, and concentrated in certain urban regions of India especially in metropolitan cities. Another challenge in India is the high cost of surgery, which makes it unaffordable for families from the lower socio-economic strata. The treatment of babies with heart ailments requires special equipment and expertise, which again is in acute shortage in India. As a result, out of roughly 1.2 lakh children born with heart defects in India, only 30% are diagnosed on time and treated every year.Lack of awareness, funds and hospital facilities are the reason for majority of such children not surviving beyond the age of four. Specifically, for children in Raigad, either the children do not have access to new forms of treatment or they do not have the financial resources to meet the hefty costs of surgery. Late diagnosis of CHD carries a high risk of avoidable mortality, morbidity, and handicap. Acquired heart diseases are conditions affecting the heart and its associated blood vessels that develop some time during childhood and covers heart problems such as rheumatic heart disease, swelling of heart muscle, infection in or around the heart etc. Many of these can be treated surgically, which if done in time, can save life and make the child grow normally. 
 The program aims at early identification, management and medical/surgical treatment of Congenital Heart Defects in children. The Swades team, along with the help of school teachers, Anganwadi Sevikas, Govt RBSK (Rashtriya Bal Swathya Karyakram) teams and will seek to identify children with CHD. Upon identification, counselling of parents is done to attend primary screening camp at partner hospitals, followed by further treatment if need be. Post surgery support and support for rehabilitation into mainstream schools is also provided as part of the program. Following key activities are done as part of the program:1. A.	Identification and assessment of children requiring tertiary level intervention2. B.	Referral service for children with CHD to partner hospitals in Mumbai3. Facilitate medical or surgical intervention by experts E.g. paediatricians, cardiologist/ pediatric cardiac surgeons. 4. Provide home based rehabilitation 
 The target group for the cardiac care program will be children in the age group of 0-18 with a congenital heart disease in 6 blocks in rural Raigad district, Maharashtra, India. 220 children in the age group of 0-18 years have been reported after conducting identification surveys through schools, Anganwadi and Swades Mitras (community health care volunteer worker) in the blocks of Mahad, Mangaon, Mhasla, Poladpur, Shrivardhan and Tala.As of March 2018, we have been successful in supporting operations of 92 children.

Congenital Cardiac Defects

Swades Foundation's work encompasses 7 Blocks of rural Raigad Dist, MH, covering ~3,100 sq. Kms, ~2,500 villages in ~380 GPs, comprising of ~120,000 HHs/550,000+ lives.Distribution of HHs by annual income (all sources): 18% HHs live &lt;INR 50,000, 25% HHs earn INR 50,000-100,000, 35% HHs have income 100,000-200,000, 22% HHs make &gt;INR 200,000The main occupation of households (HH) is agriculture (&gt;60%) and labour (&gt;25%). ~40% HHs do odd jobs to earn livelihoods. 67% HHs don’t own agricultural land. 43% HH earn &lt;INR 100,000 annually. These HHs and next 35% are largely dependent on leasing land and/or working as labour in private/Govt establishment.In our geography there are 1300+ schools with &gt;135,000 students enrolled. Whilst some improvement in basic school infrastructure happened in earlier years, they were still grappling with a large number of out-of-school children + school drop outs, who are either likely to join the labour market or potentially land in exploitative situations in the near future. 
 Swades Foundation is working towards four thematic areas- Water &amp; Sanitation, Health &amp; Nutrition, Sustainable Livelihoods and Education; with the vision of creating a replicable at scale &amp; sustainable model for rural empowerment.In education our focus is to bring about Holistic Schooling Transformation- linking learning outcomes to livelihood opportunities to make them socially inclusive, conscious citizens as change catalysts for upliftment of communities.Our three-pronged approach focuses on:<ol><li>Nurturing Mind-sets – Capacity building of stakeholders, awareness &amp; behavioral change for adoption of best practices &amp; sustainability to handover &amp; exit programs.</li><li>Enabling Environment – Making learning fun through experiential tools, infrastructural upgrades, promoting literacy in English &amp; Computers, scientific approach, rational thinking and boosting confidence.</li><li>Being Future Ready – Better employability with career counselling for informed choices and financial aid support for pursuit of higher learning and/or skilling. Alumni-meets for sharing experiences &amp; advice to counter inhibitions, instill confidence + aspiration in students-parents.</li></ol> 
 This scholarship will aid bright students from rural homes of Raigad Dist, MH to pursue professional courses, the support will be towards cost of residential stay (boarding &amp; lodging) &amp; college/university tuition fees. The scholarship will not only increase employability of these students but will also result in overall development of the community economically &amp; by building aspirations amongst youth.Swades Foundation has supported 4,421 scholarships so far &amp; is looking to support 100+ students this year.

Support scholarships for 4 bright students from rural homes in Raigad District Maharashtra, to fulfill their professional aspirations. Collaborate with Swades Foundation as we give wings to 100+ such students this year. #SupportForAspirations

2.4 billion people worldwide do not have a toilet; the consequences of this kill more children than HIV/ Aids, Malaria, and Measles combined. 36% population in rural India lack sanitation services and have to go for open defecation. Women in India routinely risk their safety because they are often attacked while they are looking in rural areas for places to defecate; their vulnerability is heightened as they venture out alone when it is dark, in order to preserve their privacy and dignity. Women in rural India using open defecation are twice as likely to face non-partner sexual violence as compared to women with a household toilet. In schools, one of the biggest factors causing girls to leave education is unsafe toilet practices.  Poor sanitation can lead to the death of children, drop in the rate of female education, the vulnerability of women, unhealthy living conditions and ultimately unproductive and poor community. 
 Our Sanitation program aims at promoting health and well-being through strengthening access to quality sanitation facilities and education of communities on good hygiene practice. Through our programme, we construct toilets, for households and schools (post allotment of space &amp; collection of community contribution), which can be of a twin-soak pit with brick, pre-cast or pre-fabricated model. At household level, we ensure capacity building and ownership of the community. Behaviour change is instilled through various street plays, community-led total sanitation programme, swachhta raths, rallies and other modes to engage with the community and ensure an open defecation free geography.  Through our many-fold-interventions, we’ve constituted &amp; strengthened village-level institutions with apt representation from stakeholders. 650+ Water-Management Committees are responsible for Operations &amp; maintenance of water infrastructure, while 1900+ Nigrani-Samitis (Sanitation Committees) act as watchdog ensuring ODF villages, 170+ parent-led School-Management Committees ensure the maintenance of WATSAN facilities in schools that take the onus of overall economic development of the community. 
 ·      Reduced mortality &amp; health burden: Decline in incidences of water-borne diseases/ snake/scorpion bites in the community and reduced absenteeism as children fall less sick·      Hygienic &amp; clean environment·      Improved economic conditions and standard of living·      Women feeling safe as they don’t have to walk to an isolated place to defecate especially at night·      Short-Term: Reduced incidence of diseases &amp; Safe hygienic sanitation, Open Defecation Free (ODF) Communities; reduced absenteeism from schools·      Long-Term: Improved health, reduction of mortality rates due to lower incidence of diseases, achievement of ODF status by the communities; cleaner environment